However, the Bluff Creek footprints were later revealed to be a hoax perpetrated by a man named Ray Wallace, as disclosed by his family after his death in 2002.
Despite this, the Bigfoot legend had already taken root in popular culture across North America.
Eyewitness accounts form the bulk of Bigfoot evidence, with over 10,000 reported sightings in the continental United States over the past five decades.
These reports typically describe a hair-covered, bipedal creature standing 8 to 10 feet tall.
However, the reliability of such accounts is questionable due to the fallibility of human memory and perception.
The most famous piece of alleged Bigfoot footage is the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film, which shows a large, hairy, ape-like figure walking through a clearing.
While still debated, many consider this video to be a hoax featuring a costumed individual.
Despite the prevalence of high-quality cameras in smartphones, clear photographic evidence of Bigfoot remains elusive.
This lack of sharp, definitive images suggests that alleged sightings may be misidentifications or hoaxes rather than genuine encounters.
Some Bigfoot enthusiasts claim to have recorded vocalizations attributed to the creature, such as howls, screams, or wood-knocking sounds.
However, these recordings often turn out to be from known animals like foxes or coyotes when analyzed by experts, according to Scientific American.
Scientific examination of alleged Bigfoot hair, feces, or other biological samples typically reveals mundane origins, per Live Science.
For instance, a 2014 genetic study of 36 hair samples purported to be from Bigfoot or Yeti found that most came from common animals like cows, raccoons, and humans.
The field of genetics also poses challenges to the Bigfoot theory.
A viable population would need to be large enough to maintain genetic diversity, yet no conclusive physical evidence of such a population has been found.
Numerous Bigfoot hoaxes have further complicated efforts to separate fact from fiction.
From fake footprints to costume-based sightings, these deceptions have muddied the waters for serious researchers and skeptics alike.
While Bigfoot itself may be mythical, a real giant ape did once roam the Earth.
Gigantopithecus blacki, an extinct species that lived in Southeast Asia, stood about 10 feet tall and weighed up to 595 pounds.
However, this ancient ape went extinct long ago and was more closely related to orangutans than to humans or other great apes, per Live Science.
But now, new footage that appears to show Bigfoot and a baby Sasquatch has taken the internet by storm…
A recent video has reignited interest in the Bigfoot phenomenon, as it purportedly shows a large, unidentified figure carrying a smaller creature across a river.
The footage was captured by a kayaker and shared with the Rocky Mountain Sasquatch Organization, quickly gaining thousands of views on their social media platform.
One person called the footage the ‘best ever’ video captured of the creature, while another praised the ‘amazing footage’ and commented on the way the ‘Sasquatch’ ‘moves through the water.’
The video’s source, identified only as Eddie V, reported that his cousin encountered the mysterious sight while kayaking on the Cass River in Michigan.
The footage shows a bulky figure wading through water while carrying what appears to be a smaller being.
Bigfoot experts over at the Rocky Mountain Sasquatch Organization explain in the voiceover: “Some [people] think it’s Bigfoot, others think it may be a hunter with fishing gear, a hunter carrying a dog, their drunk uncle…”
He adds: “A lot of people think that it’s maybe someone with a mosquito net or a face covering. There’s a side profile screenshot that plainly shows the nose exposed to the air and it’s the same color as the rest of it.”
“It may very well be a person,” the voiceover continues.
“I hear people saying it’s someone in hip waders, I’ve never seen hip waders that go up over your head, I don’t know, maybe stretch them up over his face and head, and I don’t know how his big old schnozz is still sticking out there on the side.”
Ultimately, the expert admitted: “I don’t know what it is, there are a lot more questions than answers.”
Some viewers speculated it could be a Bigfoot carrying its offspring, while others suggested it might be carrying a deer.
The organization enhanced the video and shared still images with their followers, prompting mixed reactions.
Skeptics proposed the figure could simply be a fisherman in waders, given the area’s popularity for fishing.
However, some viewers were convinced of its authenticity, questioning what else it could be.
